Australia and India renew their tense rivalry on Thursday, willing to fight fire with fire and, if necessary, trade bitter insults with a place in the World Cup final at stake.
Defending champions India have beaten Australia just once in 35 years in a one-day international at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
However, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men have confounded critics by recovering from a winless bilateral tour of Australia before the World Cup to brush aside all-comers in the tournament.
They have reached the semi-finals on the back of seven wins in seven games, bowling out the opposition on each occasion.
With New Zealand waiting in Sunday's final in Melbourne, a packed SCG is likely to witness a compelling battle between bat, ball -- and mouth.
It was at the same venue in 2008 where the infamous 'Monkeygate' incident involving Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds and Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh took place and almost saw a Test series being called off.
Harbhajan was suspended for three matches for allegedly calling Symonds a "monkey", but the ban was overturned when India threatened to walk out of the tour, claiming the off-spinner was wrongly accused.
The bad blood continued during India's Test and one-day series in Australia prior to the World Cup when heated on-field exchanges led to several players being penalised.
Three Indian players, Virat Kohli, Ishant Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, and Australian left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc were charged with breaching the International Cricket Council's Code of Conduct.
Australian opener David Warner was the worst offender, having been reported both in the Test and one-day series.
Warner risks missing the final, should Australia qualify, if found guilty of a third offence on Thursday.
- 'Fiery contest' -
India opening batsman Rohit Sharma, who had heated on-field exchanges with Warner with the Australian telling him "to speak English", said he expected a fiery contest.
"Look a bit of sledging is okay as long as boundaries are not crossed," he said. "The Indian team will not cross the line, but we will not back down either."
Australia captain Michael Clarke said he had no fears over Warner's behaviour.
"David will be fine. He knows the rules, as we all do, and his rules are no different than the rest of ours," said Clarke.
In stark contrast to the sporting and magnanimous spirit in which New Zealand's semi-final win over South Africa was played in Auckland on Tuesday, Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson said Wednesday he was happy to be his team's chief rabble rouser.
"Someone's got to do it and I might put my hand up," he said.
India will go into Thursday's game confident of success irrespective of whether the pitch takes turn or assists fast bowlers.
The wear and tear at the end of a long season was evident when the covers were removed on Wednesday, revealing a dry, brown pitch that would have gladdened India more than their rivals.
South African spinners Imran Tahir and JP Duminy shared seven wickets to bowl out Sri Lanka for 133 in the quarter-final at the SCG last week, setting up a nine-wicket win for the Proteas.
But the bat dominated the ball in previous World Cup games at the venue, with Australia piling up 376 for nine against Sri Lanka and South Africa smashing 408 for five off the West Indies' attack.
Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee believes his country's seam attack will thrive regardless of the pace of the wicket.
"The way that Mitchell Starc has been bowling with the brand new ball, most of the work is done through the air and also with his pace," Lee told the Sydney Daily Telegraph.
"If he's bowling massive yorkers with the brand new ball it doesn't matter what surface you're playing. The key most importantly is not to worry about the wicket."
Source: AFP
